Infield fly rule doesn't literally have to be in the infield. It's designed to keep a team from turning a double play on purposely dropped fly ball. Not saying the call was right, but I can make an argument for the umpires.

Until he flinches because he thinks he heard Holliday, that kid is making that catch easily. Proper call, IMO. 100/100 that gets called. It is why the ump waited so long to make the call. If Kozmar gets into position with relative ease, which he did, he calls it.

The extra foul-line umpire made the call. Standing in a spot he doesn't stand in for 162 games. If he's in his usual spot at 3B I'm sure he doesn't call INF-fly. And to make it worse, it was a very late call. But...

...Braves gave up 6 runs. They have nobody to blame but themselves for the loss.

/Happy to see 2 big market teams bite the dust. (Is Altanta big market? - maybe not, but they are bigger than most)

The call was absolutely wrong. Ball was well out in left field, the shortstop abandoned the ball because of that fact and not cause he was trying to let it drop to make an out. I'm not sure how anyone could even dispute this. That was not the infield fly rule. If it was, and you truly believe they should have called it there ... then you'd have 3-4 infield fly rule calls a game using that play as precedent.

Crazy start to the playoffs. That game, Rangers descent finalized with a one game knockout after back to back AL titles.

Verlander tonight at 6 and game 1 of what should be a fantastic series between the Reds and Giants.

I've got the Tigers beating the Yankees in the ALCS. Giants over the Nats. Giants over the Tigers in the WS.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

I really don't know. But there are key parts in that rule that lead to the conclusion, at least lead to arguing it was the right call. Problem with the rule, like so many rules (STRIKE ZONE), it leaves plenty of room for judgment. Something robot umps do not possess, robot ump supporters.

Criminals in this town used to believe in things...honor, respect."I heard your dog is sick, so bought you this shovel"

I've seen that same play 1,000 times. I have never seen it called infield fly. Irregardless of who ends up catching it (infielder, outfielder), the call is made when the ball is in the air. Thus, in my view, if you arguing that last nights ball should have been called infield fly, you are essentially saying umpires have been calling it wrong for the last 100 years.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

1. The rule has NOTHING to do with location of the ball. It is all about normal effort, and the SS was having no problem getting there.

2. In those 1,000 times you say it wasn't called, it probably was but nobody realizes it because the guy catches the ball. It is a hand signal, and I highly doubt anyone is paying attention to the mechanics of an umpire on too many pop-ups.

3. If a shorter pop-up was hit in front of the CF, but the same "distance" from home plate and the IF was plying in and the SS/2B hs to bust ass to get there, it does not get called.

All valid points. But that ball was too far out. Way too far out. SS kept going back and was never even under the ball. How many times have we seen that exact same ball fall? Never is infield fly called on a ball that deep. Ever. Wasn't even close. Twas a butchered call.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

swerb wrote:All valid points. But that ball was too far out. Way too far out. SS kept going back and was never even under the ball. How many times have we seen that exact same ball fall? Never is infield fly called on a ball that deep. Ever. Wasn't even close. Twas a butchered call.

One more point. There is not very often that an umpire is stationed that far out. In the normal 3B umpire angle, he would probably never consider the SS making that catch as easily as it was going to be made. But with this guy basically standing parallel to the play, it was pretty clear the SS was there and was going to be able to camp under it. Which is why he still waited as long as possible for signaling it.

You keep saying too far out. I keep telling you, distance and location have nothing to do with it.

swerb wrote:All valid points. But that ball was too far out. Way too far out. SS kept going back and was never even under the ball. How many times have we seen that exact same ball fall? Never is infield fly called on a ball that deep. Ever. Wasn't even close. Twas a butchered call.

One more point. There is not very often that an umpire is stationed that far out. In the normal 3B umpire angle, he would probably never consider the SS making that catch as easily as it was going to be made. But with this guy basically standing parallel to the play, it was pretty clear the SS was there and was going to be able to camp under it. Which is why he still waited as long as possible for signaling it.

You keep saying too far out. I keep telling you, distance and location have nothing to do with it.

Right, it is basically up to the ump to decide how easy of a play it is for the infielder. Whether on the edge of the grass or 25ft into the OF.

Criminals in this town used to believe in things...honor, respect."I heard your dog is sick, so bought you this shovel"

swerb wrote:All valid points. But that ball was too far out. Way too far out. SS kept going back and was never even under the ball. How many times have we seen that exact same ball fall? Never is infield fly called on a ball that deep. Ever. Wasn't even close. Twas a butchered call.

One more point. There is not very often that an umpire is stationed that far out. In the normal 3B umpire angle, he would probably never consider the SS making that catch as easily as it was going to be made. But with this guy basically standing parallel to the play, it was pretty clear the SS was there and was going to be able to camp under it. Which is why he still waited as long as possible for signaling it.

You keep saying too far out. I keep telling you, distance and location have nothing to do with it.

Right, it is basically up to the ump to decide how easy of a play it is for the infielder. Whether on the edge of the grass or 25ft into the OF.

Far bigger problem then the location was the timing.

As an ump, if you're gonna wait till the ball is a half second from landing, you're inviting the kick in the balls that comes along with it.

And as far as "line umps" in the playoffs, you could cite far more incidents in which they've caused confusion or problems than they've actually helped.

Wow, the Giants survive to live another day. Or, actually, another series. Didn't see that coming after the first two games. Cinci folded like a cheap suit. Woulda kinda sorta been nice to see a team from OH move on. Then again, they're Cinci.

I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball.~~~Annie Savoy-"Bull Durham"

swerb wrote:I still cannot believe what I witnessed last night. Cleveland-esque collapse for the Nats. Amazing.

Sat there stunned at what I witnessed. Similar to the Rangers blowing the Series.

The decision to shut Stras down is going to be heavily debated all off season in DC

Galley Boys are slop on top of a so-so burger and a bun you coulde get from a Covneninet food mart generic pack. They the Antoine Joubert of burgers; soft, sloppy, oozing grease and cheap sauce and extremely overrated by a biased fan base. Proof that if you throw enough cheap sauce shit on a burger you still can't overcome the lame burger. -JB

Commodore Perry wrote:New York doesn't deserve that team. Another comeback, and the stadium is half empty. What spoiled little brats their fans are to leave down 4-0 in the 9th.

Agreed 1000%. They get a free pass into the playoffs every year. We're dying for a "window of contention."

Not turning this into a payroll/economics thing, but it's a damn joke. If Commissioner Bud really wants to make a legacy for himself and add to the game, he needs to quit coming up with stupid gimmicks and stunts and address the real issues.

Done ranting. Can't believe I actually have to root for the Tigers this week.

Looks like the Fall Classic is going to feature a team that has a manager with absolutely no managerial experience - at any level vs. a squad that was gonna be a joke because they had too many fat asses in the field.

Just like this board predicted in the spring....errr...well it predicted about the opposite but anyways....

Well, if you go back to the preseason prediction thread, most people put the Tigers in the playoffs, and I and Cerebral Down Time actually had the Tigers winning the World Series. No one had St. Louis winning it, although many people had them in the playoffs.

leadpipe wrote:Looks like the Fall Classic is going to feature a team that has a manager with absolutely no managerial experience - at any level vs. a squad that was gonna be a joke because they had too many fat asses in the field.

Just like this board predicted in the spring....errr...well it predicted about the opposite but anyways....

Bigfist wrote:Well, if you go back to the preseason prediction thread, most people put the Tigers in the playoffs, and I and Cerebral Down Time actually had the Tigers winning the World Series. No one had St. Louis winning it, although many people had them in the playoffs.

No. That can't be accurate. I quite clearly remember some discussion that Miggy isn't a good defensive 3B which means that everyone thought the Tigers would be terrible and the Tribe would have an easy ride on the backs of our ground ball pitchers inducing every batter to ground out to Hannahan.